Divorce marks the end of a marital relationship, but the beginning of a new life free from past entanglements. At Zettersten & Hammond, our legal team provides experienced guidance and strong advocacy to clients facing divorce in Brentwood, Murfreesboro and surrounding areas. We are here to protect your rights during your divorce so you can move on to the best post-divorce future possible.
We have the skill and experience to serve a wide range of clients, from business owners to stay-at-home parents, from young couples with minor children to retirees facing “gray divorce” issues.
We can protect your rights in all divorce-related legal issues, including:
- Property division: Helping you obtain your fair share of marital property without taking on more than your fair share of the debt
- Alimony:Representing those seeking spousal support as well as those being asked to pay it
- Legal issues that affect children:Protecting our clients’ parental rights and the best interests of their children in matters relating to child custody and visitation, child support, and more
We offer our clients understanding guidance and straightforward advice. We will provide you with a candid assessment of your legal prospects, so you always know where you stand.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to resolving disputes that arise during a divorce. At our law firm, we help clients seek amicable, cost-effective resolutions to disagreements whenever possible and even offer divorce mediation services as a dispute resolution option.
One of the most complex and contentious parts of family law is the division of the marital estate. Tennessee relies on an “equitable distribution” standard to determine which spouse will get what property. “What is equitable?” and “what is fair?” are often decided in court by a judge when the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
When a peaceful resolution is not possible, we are ready to represent you through divorce litigation.
Talk To A Knowledgeable Divorce Attorney Today
To schedule your free initial consultation regarding uncontested divorce in Tennessee, please contact our law offices online or by telephone at (615) 896-5720.
Affordable Divorce
Is a cheap divorce possible in Tennessee? You may initially save money by not hiring a qualified lawyer to oversee the process, but the cost of mistakes could come back to haunt you, making a “cheap divorce” an expensive prospect.
If you are seeking a cost-effective means of divorcing your spouse in Tennessee, uncontested divorce might be the best option for you. You must meet several requirements before getting an uncontested divorce. For example, you must agree with your spouse on all divorce-related issues, including property division, alimony and co-parenting.
At Zettersten & Hammond, we commit ourselves to helping our clients achieve their divorce goals while keeping costs as low as possible. We can guide you through all aspects of an uncontested, simplified divorce. If it turns out that uncontested divorce is not right for your situation, we can help you explore all of your options. We have law offices in Brentwood and Murfreesboro.
The Tennessee Courts website provides online divorce forms that you can download and fill out yourself. Remember, however, that mistakes in divorce paperwork can prove costly. If you’re attempting a do-it-yourself divorce, an error in your petition can cause problems that can never be fixed or wind up costing you more in the long run than if you had hired an attorney to handle your divorce from the beginning.
In uncontested divorces, many of our clients fill out the divorce paperwork themselves and then hire us to review it and make sure there are no mistakes or red flags. This allows our clients to save money on billable hours while still ensuring that they are protecting their rights and interests.
Talk To A Knowledgeable Divorce Attorney Today
To schedule your free initial consultation regarding uncontested divorce in Tennessee, please contact our law offices online or by telephone at (615) 896-5720.
Gray Divorce
As baby boomers age into retirement, many are finding they are no longer happy in their marriages, leading to a phenomenon known in some circles as “gray divorce.”
If you or your spouse is seeking a divorce after age 50 in Tennessee and you have concerns about how this process impacts you, the attorneys at Zettersten & Hammond are here to provide you with experienced advice and advocacy.
We represent clients from all walks of life, at all stages of life, and can help you navigate some of the complexities that arise in a gray divorce.
Tennessee governs property division by a concept known as equitable distribution, meaning both parties are to divide assets and wealth acquired during marriage in a fair and equitable manner upon divorce. For retirees and empty nesters seeking divorce, this creates complications if they have accrued significant assets during a long marriage, including:
- A family home
- A vacation home
- 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions and other retirement assets
- Stocks and bonds
- Vehicles
- Pets
- Social Security benefits
We provide strong representation to clients in property division proceedings. In some cases, especially in a gray divorce, one spouse may have been the primary breadwinner while the other contributed to the marital estate as a homemaker or in other ways. We take special consideration when establishing divorce decrees that adequately protect our clients’ interests.
To schedule your free initial consultation with an attorney who understands the complexities of gray divorce, please contact our law offices online or by telephone at (615) 896-5720. Appointments are available in Brentwood and Murfreesboro
QDROs
Asset division in a divorce can be a challenge, even when both parties are cooperating. Although you can handle a lot of assets relatively quickly, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) for retirement account usually cannot. We at Zettersten & Hammond know how challenging it can be to navigate the QDRO process, and we can help you do it.
A QDRO needs to be properly filed in order to ensure that you know what to expect in your future. Our lawyers know how important a QDRO can be in shaping your future after separating from your spouse, so let us be the ones who help you shape it.
To better understand a QDRO, you must first understand what a Domestic Relations Order (DRO) is. A DRO is an arrangement that a family law court has issued during a divorce. In order for a DRO to become qualified, it needs to be accepted by the plan provider, the company that holds the retirement account in question.
Often times, the plan provider will also require you to submit additional paperwork for the provider to accept the DRO, which results in even more paperwork that you need to complete.
Whether you are trying to establish a DRO/QDRO, or if you are attempting to get the plan provider to accept the DRO, our Tennessee attorneys can make sure that everything goes as smooth as possible. Contact us at our Brentwood and Murfreesboro offices by calling (615) 896-5720 today. We offer free consultations to make the first step even easier
